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Date announced for HMS Queen Elizabeth's planned entry to Portsmouth

14 August 2017
Britain's new aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth is set to enter her new home in Portsmouth on Wednesday 16 August 2017.

The 65,000-tonne carrier, the biggest warship ever to be built in Britain, has been undergoing sea trials since setting sail from Scotland's Rosyth dockyard in June.

 

She is now set to make her historic arrival into Portsmouth on Wednesday at approximately 0710 where she will be the latest in a long line of famous Royal Navy ships to call the port home.

 

Weather conditions meant the exact date of the historic moment could not be confirmed until today. 

 

With only three other countries in the world building aircraft carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth will give Britain the capability to lead the way in tackling global issues in an increasingly uncertain world, from providing humanitarian relief to high-end war fighting.

 

And with the state-of-the-art F-35B Lightning fighter jets on track to make their first trial flights from the carrier's deck next year, the UK is now building towards delivering carrier strike capability. Both aircraft carriers are being delivered by the Aircraft Carrier Alliance.

 

Drones

 

For the first entry of HMS Queen Elizabeth there will be a no-fly exclusion zone around Portsmouth Harbour as flying displays will take place during the event.

Drone operators and military flying share the same low level airspace. Due to the speeds we fly, the chances of spotting a drone are almost impossible and for safety reasons, as indicted by the Civil Aviation Authority Guidance, all drone users should avoid operating in the vicinity of the harbour on the day HMS Queen Elizabeth enters her home port for the first time.

Further information on safe flying can be found at: www.dronesafe.uk or www.caa.co.uk/droneaware.

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